1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a door lock system for releasably latching and selectively locking a door of a motor vehicle such as a passenger car, van, truck, motor coach, recreational vehicle or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel and improved, extremely versatile door-mounted lock system that includes a plurality of rotary latches that are interconnected by a linkage assembly for concurrent operation, with the rotary latches being operable to securely releasably engage a plurality of door-frame-mounted strikers, and with the connection linkage assembly providing a highly versatile means for connecting the rotary latches with a wide variety of commercially available interior and exterior operating handle assemblies, with a wide range of key cylinder and sill button hardware, and with almost any desired relative mounting arrangement of the rotary latches, the interior and exterior operating handles, and other associated hardware.
2. Prior Art
It is customary to provide a side door of a vehicle such as an automobile, van, truck or the like with a door-carried lock system that is operable, when the door is closed adjacent a door frame that defines a passenger access opening, to "latch" the door as by bringing rotatable components of at least one rotary latch into surrounding and restraining, but selectively releasable engagement with at least one door-frame-carried striker.
It is customary, also, to provide a side door of a vehicle with interior and exterior handle assemblies that may be operated to "unlatch" the rotary latch or latches, and to thereby permit door movement out of its closed position.
Still further, it is customary to provide a key cylinder in association with the exterior handle assembly, with the key cylinder being operable selectively to "lock" and "unlock" components of the door lock mechanism as by selectively preventing and permitting the exterior door handle assembly from unlatching the door.
Typically, the door lock mechanism of a vehicle side door also can be "locked" and "unlocked" by vertically shifting what is referred to as a "sill button." The sill button usually takes the form of an elongate, interiorly accessible, vertically movable button that has a lower end region which is connected to a control rod that is housed within the structure of a door, and an upper end region that projects through a sill opening that is defined by the door structure at a location near the bottom level of a window opening that is defined by the door structure. Depressing the sill button to its lowermost or "locked" position causes the control rod to set components of the door lock mechanism to a "locked" configuration that will prevent at least the exterior handle assembly from unlatching the door. Raising the button to its uppermost or "unlocked" position causes the control rod to effect unlocking of components of the door lock system so that operation of the exterior handle assembly will function to unlatch the door.
Moreover, it is known to selectively provide door lock systems with "childproofing mechanisms" for assuring that, when components of the door lock system are locked, the interior handle assembly (in addition to the exterior handle assembly) will be prevented from unlatching the door. This feature of fully disabling an interior handle when a sill button has been depressed (i.e., when the door lock system has been "locked") is particularly desirable for use with vehicles that transport children, the intended purpose being to prevent unwanted opening of a vehicle door as the result of a child's tampering with or operating the interior handle assembly.
While vehicle door lock systems of a variety of configurations have been proposed, with many including so-called "childproofing mechanisms," prior proposals typically suffer from one or more drawbacks. One problem has been a lack of versatility of system components that severely limits not only the type, style, shape and/or structural configuration of doors with which a particular locking system proposal can be used, but also limits the relative arrangements of interior and exterior handle assemblies, key cylinder and sill button hardware with which a particular locking system proposal can be used. Moreover, the systems of prior proposals typically require custom made operating handle assemblies and/or other custom components, it being recognized that custom components often are relatively expensive to manufacture.
To the degree that some prior door lock system proposals are adaptable for use with commercially available components such as operating handle assemblies, key cylinder and sill button hardware, the complexity of the resulting door lock systems, and attendant difficulties of assembly and adjustment for proper operation that are encountered in installing the resulting systems often have proven to be undesirable and, in some cases, economically unfeasible.
Accordingly, despite a proliferation of prior door lock system proposals, a need has remained for an improved, highly versatile door lock system including one or more rotary latches of a well proven type, and an associated connection linkage assembly, with these components being so arranged and interconnected that they are capable of working in harmony with a wide range of commercially available interior and exterior operating handle assemblies, as well as with commercially available key cylinder and sill button hardware.
3. The Referenced Childproof Door Lock System Case
The invention of the referenced Childproof Door Lock System Case addresses the foregoing and other drawbacks of the prior art by providing a novel and improved vehicle door lock system that includes a rotary latch and a connection linkage assembly that is sufficiently versatile to permit its use with a wide variety of commercially available interior and exterior operating handle assemblies, as well as with commercially available key cylinder and sill button control hardware, with the connecting linkage including a capability for providing desired safety features, for example, a "childproof" feature that permits an interior operating handle to be selectively enabled and disabled for unlatching the rotary latch so that children cannot open a "locked" door by tampering with or operating the interior handle.
A feature of the preferred practice of the invention of the referenced Childproof Door Lock System Case resides in its utilization of a well proven basic type of rotary latch--a rotary latch that has proven its acceptability in commercial use. Another feature lies in use that is made of commercially available forms of door lock system hardware including interior and exterior operating handle assemblies, as well as key cylinder and sill button components. Stated in another way, the preferred practice of the invention of the referenced Childproof Door Lock System Case has the very significant advantage of not proposing a door lock system that is novel and unique throughout the range of elements that make up the system--rather, the invention, in its preferred practice, draws without reservation on strengths of proven designs and commercially available components which, with minimal cost, provide a highly reliable door lock system.
Another feature of the preferred practice of the invention of the referenced Childproof Door Lock System Case resides in providing as a "hub" or "centerpiece" of a door lock system, a novel rotary latch and connection linkage assembly of extremely versatile character that gives the system its capability to draw upon strengths, desired characteristics, and unique features of a host of commercially available door lock operating and control hardware such as commercially available interior and exterior operating handle assemblies, key cylinder and sill button hardware. Unlike many prior proposals, a vehicle door lock system that embodies the preferred practice of the invention of the referenced Childproof Door Lock System Case utilizes a rotary latch and connection linkage assembly that is easily adapted for use not only with a wide variety of vehicle door sizes, shapes and structural configurations, but also with a wide variety of relative arrangements of operating and control hardware, whereby commercially available hardware components can be positioned and oriented in almost any desired relative arrangement with respect to a selected position for the rotary latch and connection linkage assembly.